Washing machine



Aug. 6, 1929.

O. E. SZEKELY WASHING MACHINE Filed 'April 23 192'7 2 Sheets-Sheet LQ w\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Aug. 6, 1929.. o. E. szEKELY WASHING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l IHIH/ Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED s'rn'rrs OTTO E. SZEKELY,OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN. Y

WASHING Application led April 23,

This invention relates to washing machines and more particularly to the impeller or agitator thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide for a thorough agitation of the water and clothes in the tub of the machine, and thereby to accomplish the washing operation eiliciently and quickly.

Another object is to prevent clothes from massing and traveling in a mass with the im-I peller.

Another object is to provide an integral impeller the vanes of which are unconnected with each other except through a central body member and which have a substantial clearance above the bottom of the tub so that they may whip through, and below and above the clothes.

And a further object is to provide a vane connected at its inner end only with the body of the impeller, and which tapers to a blunt outer end, having an upwardly and outwardly inclined bottom edge which provides a substantial clearance above the bottom of the tub.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a washling machine tub and having my invention embodied therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the 1mpeller.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the 1meller. p Referring to the drawings 5 is a tub which is provided with a top opening 6 to be closed by a lid or cover, not shown. A plate 7 1s securely bolted to the bottom of the tub, over an opening 8 therein, and it is provided with a tubular support 9 which projects up centrally in the tub to receive the driving shaft 10. The support has a bearing 11 at its bottom and a bearing 12 at its top and both bearings are provided with suitable bushings.

The impeller or agitator comprises a tubular body 13 having a plurality, preferably v four, of vanes 14 which are integral with the body and extend radially therefrom. Each vane is Wider at its inner end than at its outer end and tapers to a blunt outer end. The bottom edge 15 of each vane is inclined upwardly from the inner end to the outer end of the vane, and the top edge 16 of each vane inclines downwardly from the inner end to the outer end ot' the vanes. Also each MACHINE.

1927. Serial No. 186,009.

yane is thicker at its loweredge than at -its upper edge and tapers in thickness from loot-tom to top for strength. The inner end of each vane extends from, at or about the bottom of the body to a point above the middle of the body and below the to l thereof, in the embodiment shown, so t at the vanes will be located in substantially the lower half of the tub.

The impeller is arranged on the support and shaft and a plug 17 in the upper end of the body forms a thrust bearing for the shaft. A pin 18 passes through the body, plug and shaft and makes a driving connection between the shaft and body. The support has a bearing 19 for the lower end ot' the body and it is provided with a suitable bushing.

The vanes are entirely free and unconnected except at their inner ends when they merge into the body, and there is a substantial clearance between the bottom edge of each vane and the bottom of the tub, which clearance increases towards the outer end of the vane due to the taper of the vane. This is important because the mass of clothes in the tub may rest on the bottom of the tub and the operation of the impeller provides a whipping action through the water and clothes which promotes the washing operation and enhances the efliciency of the machine. The impeller makes a violent agitation of water which is highly desirable. I prefer to use a multi-sided tub because it will produce greater agitation of the clothes and water, but a round tub may be used if desired. The bottom and to edges of the vane are curved at their ends so that the clothes will slide freely thereon.

My improved impeller 'is novel and simple in construction and efficient in operation. It imparts a violent agitation to the clothes and water without injury to the clothes. The shape and arrangement of the vane is of particular importance in this and other types of impellers because it is entirely free at its bottom edge, and therefore embodies no support for the clothes, so that it may whip through the clothes and thoroughly agitato them. -The impeller does not move the clothes as a mass which travels with the impeller, but the varies Whip through the clothes, keep the clothes open and in complete agitation, and pass over and through and under the clothes.

I have described the invention in a form which has been found satisfactory in actuel use, but l do not restrict the invention to this particular embodiment for it will be eppurent that it is of u grenier scope. For eX- umple. the vano construction may be einbodied in iinpellers of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,646,174 patented October 18, 1927, end in other types of impellers, and other changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:J

l. An integral impeller for washing machines comprising a central support, e plurality of relativeiy long, narrow7 thin, tepered, imperforote and disconnected venes radially extending from the support et the nreecie lower portion thereof, the upper edges of seid venes being straight and inclining slightly downward from the support, the lower edges of said venes being straight and inclined upward from said support, the outer ends of said venes being substantially parallel with the support end having rounded cornersI` and the inner ends of the top and loottom edges of the venes curving sharply upward and downward, respectively,

Y and merging with the support.

2. An integral impeller for washing inuchines as described in the preceding claim with the lower edges of the venes inclined upward et e sharper angle than the downwerd inclination of the upper edges.

GTT() E. SZEKELY. 

